Avoiding Virtual Assistant Performance Pitfalls - Part 2

What's really most important when hiring a virtual assistant is doing your due-diligence before you make the hire. Just like anyone else, virtual assistants come with their own personality, life issues, and family situations. making sure they mesh with what you need are paramount to ensuring smooth sailing after youve finally agreed to work with the VA.

Virtual Houdini - The Virtual Assistant Disappearing Act

Yes, it can happen. Back when you worked in the retro bricks-and-mortar world, how often did someone simply not show up for work? They quit, right? Unfortunately this can happen with virtual assistants as well. Perhaps not as often as in the bricks-and-mortar world but it does happen. Why do virtual assistants quit, disappear, move on? The same reasons they quit, disappear, and move on in the bricks-and-mortar world. Maybe they needed more money. Maybe they became ill and could no longer work. Maybe a better offer came along. Maybe they didnt like the work. You cant entirely avoid the situation itself but there are things you can do to minimize the damage if and when it does. Protecting yourself ahead of time for when it does and realizing that it could happen is your best defense.

Online files. Not only does putting your files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) online facilitate working virtually, but it also protects you if and when a virtual assistant leaves. Simply change the passwords then shes locked out and you dont lose any files or have to go hunting them down.

Pay withholding. Why not put something in your contract with the virtual assistant that says you reserve the right to withhold pay until work files are returned?

Passwords. As soon as a virtual worker leaves or is let go, remember to change your passwords on everything he or she had access to!

What I Say Versus What I Can Do

Would you hire someone to watch your children just because they say theyre capable of doing so? I didnt think so. Then why would you hire a virtual assistant (or anyone for that matter) without first finding out what they can do and if they can do what they say they can do? I recommend several steps be taken to test a new virtual assistant contractor before contracting with them. These steps are modeled after our own companys interviewing process, which has evolved over the years. Its a lot of work on your part but very worthwhile. If you dont want to take all of these steps then look for a good virtual staffing agency, like Team Double-Click who does all of the work for you.

1) Job posting. In your case you'll either need to make a posting on a job board, such as CareerBuilder, Monster, or Craigs list. Or you can search those boards for virtual assistants looking for work.

2) Typing test. You want to know your new virtual assistant can typeaccurately, right? Send him or her to typingtest and ask for the results back. Look for a high level of accuracy coupled with high speed.

3) Computer skills test. Again, you want to know your virtual assistant can use Word and Excel. Send her to expertratings, ask her to take the free Word and Excel (and any others you want to know about) tests and send you the scores.

4) First interview. Agree on a time and date for the first telephone interview. Then give the potential virtual assistant your number and have her call you. Have your questions ready. Did she show up on time? Did she answer your questions to your satisfaction? Do her skills still fit?

5) Work personality. You simply must know if the person you are about to contract is honest, has a high level of integrity, is a team player, and so on. We recommend totaltesting, where you can ask the potential virtual assistant to take such a test. Now this one costs a few bucks. Its up to you whether you want to pay for it or require the virtual assistant to pay for it. Just remember if you ask her to pay for it and you dont hire her shes not going to be a happy camper.

6) Second Interview. The cool thing about Total Testings work personality tests is that they give you another set of questions to ask the candidate during a second interview. Have a friend, spouse, or colleague interview this person the second time. Compare notes. How does each of you feel about this person? Will she work out?

7) Contract. If youre ready to contract this person its time to pull out the non-compete, non-disclosure contract we discussed in the last article. Send it to the virtual assistant for review and signing. Be absolutely sure this is signed before putting him or her to work.

8) EIN and W9. We also discussed, in the last article, requiring the contractor to obtain a (free) EIN (employer identification number) to further protect you from possible employer/employee claims later on down the road. Nows the time to ask for this, along with a completed W9 form.

This is the abbreviated version of our process. We throw in a few things like setting up a company email account, and we have a review process, which each virtual assistant goes through. A team of three HR pros discuss each candidate and determine if a contract will be offered. Because were a staffing agency, your screening process will look a little different from ours.

Give Me All You Got

Never send a virtual worker a ton of materials (letterheads, envelopes, brochures, etc.). Its just a safeguard. While it is very rare that someone would leave and not return those materials to you, if they did, how much money would you have tied up in replacing all of those expensive printed materials? Its just better not to do it in the first place. Send a virtual worker slightly more than what they need to perform the task at hand.

The Five Finger Discount - Identity Theft/Credit Card Number Theft

One of our clients biggest concerns has always been identity theft and credit card number theft. In all the years weve been staffing virtually, weve never seen this happen. It may be that the work personality profile is weeding out the people who might be tempted and our HR department is further ferreting out those who are less-than-desirable, but the other half of it is the contractor mentality of a virtual assistant as opposed to the employee mentality of anemployee!

You can minimize your risk by not giving out your credit card information to a virtual assistant. If you need to give the virtual assistant a credit card number for ordering products or services on your behalf, get a separate card that is used for nothing but items the virtual assistant orders for you. Its much easier to check over your bill for erroneous charges this way.

Hours availability

When hiring a virtual assistant, not only do you need to make sure their skills and abilities mesh with you and your business, but you must also be sure the virtual assistant has enough time to take care of your needs. Very simply ask the potential virtual assistant how many other clients she has, how many hours per week she is working, and how many hours she has to devote to you. Does it work with what you need? If not, move on.

The rate

I dont know about you, but Ive never bought something without first knowing what it was going to cost. Important questions to ask before contracting a virtual assistant:

1) What is the rate per hour?
2) Are there different rates for different tasks?
3) If so what are they?
4) Do you round to the nearest hour or the nearest minute? To the nearest minute is the most desirable.
5) Is there a start up fee?
6) If so, how much?
7) Is there a termination fee?
8) If so, how much?
9) Is there a minimum usage?
10) If so, how much?
11) Can you work within my budget? In other words, if I can only afford 10 hours per week, what happens when youve reached 10 hours? How is that handled?
12) What are your future plans? How long do you intend to be a virtual assistant? Is this a career for you or a short-term venture for some extra cash?

My philosophy when hiring anyone, virtual assistants included, is to hire slowly and fire quickly. Trust your gut. If you dont feel that a virtual assistant is working out, let her go immediately and dont look back. Your gut is probably right. But do take your time hiring. Go through the paces to determine if he or she is the best fit for YOU; itll minimize the risk that he or she wont work out for you later.

Gayle Buske is the founder, president and CEO of Team Double-ClickSM, the countrys foremost virtual staffing agency. As the head of a virtual staffing agency with over 19,000+ virtual professionals in its pool, Ms. Buske is uniquely qualified to aid clients growth through virtual outsourcing as well as speak to the ins and outs of the industry. Gayle enjoys spending her free time with her husband, business and life partner, Jim, their daughter Madison, practicing Yoga, reading, off-roading, hiking, flower gardening, and playing with the familys three dogs and two cats.

Team Double-Click, Inc. provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double Clicks Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or phone 888.827.9129. Click to receive your free report, 101 Ways To Work With A Virtual Assistant.

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Nokia 6110 Navigator - Travel with Precision

Nokia has launched a new Smartphone, the Nokia 6110 navigator. The introduction of this navigation device has again proved Nokia's experiences in the global mobile world. The device offers features such as mapping, navigation and local search and helps users explore new places. Though Nokia E90 and Nokia N95 also come under Nokia's GPS mobile phones portfolio, the Nokia 6110 navigator is more about navigation.

The Nokia 6110 navigator comes with GPS (Global Positioning System) and AGPS (Assisted Global Positioning System). With always-on connectivity features, the device always keeps you stay in touch with the world. The device offers personal navigation experience through built-in maps, routing and navigation with a single touch of the navigation key. With the Nokia 6110 navigator, you can view the current location on the map, search for new locations and find special routes on the go.

While searching for new locations, the device suggests you to follow the shortest or easiest routes. And with the help of voice guidance, its the fastest way to explore new destination. Enjoy the benefits of navigation explore new city, restaurants, know weather forecasts or find travel guides for a weekend trip. The pre-installed map helps in searching new destinations in no time.

Additionally, the Nokia 6110 navigator allows fast and impeccable access to mobile internet with the latest HSDPA technology. this technology is more faster than 3G. Synchronise emails through push email send and receive heavy attachments and keep in touch with the world anytime-anywhere. For 3G multimedia, the Nokia 6110 navigator is an ideal tool. Loaded with an in-built 2.0 mega-pixel camera shoot and capture the world. Watching videos on a 2.2 inch QVGA screen is a real pleasure.

Explore the new world, capture and share those moments with friends and family.

Nokia 6110

Alice Erin is an expert Author. Take a look at latest Mobile Phone . and Contract Mobile Phones .

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Guitar Hero Review

guitar Hero is a great music video game. The game is developed by Harmonix Music Systems, and it is published by RedOctane. The primary controller is designed to simulate the playing of electric guitar. guitar hero was first released in North America on November 8, 2005. Then it was released in Europe on April 7, 2006.

The player must press the corresponding button according to the scrolling notes of a song. The player can also use the Dualshock System by pressing X, L1, L2, R1, and R2. The player will earn points for every note hit. Chords have twice the value of single notes. When the player hit ten consecutive notes, chords will count as one note. The player can temporarily double the score by using the star power. Using the star power effectively, the player can multiply his points up to eight times.

player score are shown at the end of the song. The player can also view his longest note streak and accuracy percentage. guitar Song is quite a complex game. The average song can usually have about 400 600 notes. The difficult song can contain up to 1000 2000 notes.

guitar Hero has over forty seven songs. Thirty of these songs are from the covers of the originals. The player can choose to be eight playable characters in guitar hero. Six of them can be played from the beginning of the game. The rest of the characters must be unlocked as secret characters. Each characters have their own unique personalities and playing style.

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Best Family Vacation Preparation? Help Is Here!

Personally we think cruises are teriffic choices for that family vacation or reunion, because they allow everyone to get together with lots of different activities for various age groups.

You get to go to places without having to change hotels - no need to pack and unpack. Those with young kids, you know what we mean. Besides, a cruise also offers everything, including duty-free shopping, cabaret shows, discotheques, karaoke, spa treatments, bowling, jacuzzis, swimming pools and golf courses!

Preparing for any family vacation with children can be a daunting task. However, there are some things that you can do to make the holiday go as smooth and pleasurable as possible! It is always fun to include all family members in the discussion about the destination. Experts agree that you will have a much better time if you plan your trip according to the ages and interests of the children in the family.

A good way to do this is to have your children prepare a wish list of all of the places they would like to go, things they would like to do and sights they would like to see.

After reviewing and discussing their wish lists, it will be easier for you to decide on a destination for your last minute family vacation that will make everyone happy. Whether you are traveling by plane, train, or automobile, there is nothing more difficult than to help children survive the hours of travel, you will have to think ahead.

Some good things to have on hand for long travel trips include handheld electronic games, favorite toys and books, snacks that are not too sugary (too much sugar will make it even harder for the kids to sit still), and something to drink such as juice or water. If going by car, you might want to also take along a Frisbee or a ball, to allow them a way to get rid of excess energy at rest stops.

Planning for any vacations is an important aspect to how successful your trip is. For more cheap and affordable family vacation deals, check out our last minute vacation packages with many destinations to choose from!

Copyright Statement
this article was written by Jonathan Tan and may be reproduced on any travel-related website provided this copyright statement is displayed unedited in its entirety at the foot of the article and you use the exact same HTML code to ensure a clickable link back to the author's site. Further articles are also available. Contact the author for more information. Copyright www.last-minute-vacation-guide.com

The most affordable way to make a weekend trip anywhere is via last minute getaway deals! Check out last minute all inclusive deals before the weekend is up at last-minute-vacation-Guide.com!

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